Truth in the Reflection
by Rodea McWin
Summary: Something strange and magical has happened to Merlin and Arthur, but neither wish to tell King Uther; for fear of being put to death. They both have to work together to try and reverse what occurred before the king finds out.
1. Chapter 1

Truth in the reflection –Chapter 1

* * *

Author woke up feeling stiff; a quick glance at his surrounding indicated he had fallen asleep on the hard ground. He had been out hunting with Merlin when they were forced to take shelter from the weather.

He stood up and walked toward the entrance of the cave they were currently occupying. It was still dark, but he could see the light of day somewhere off in the distance. He hadn't intended on spending the whole night out and could just imagine what his father would say when they got back. He had promised to be back in time for the ceremony of the newly appointed knights; which if he hurried could still be kept.

His stomach growled for food, but he needed to get Merlin awake so they could be on their way home. He walked back inside the cave and found where his servant lay. "Merlin, it's time to head back home".

Merlin came awake as he felt the light brush of Arthur's foot on his shoulder; "Is the storm over?"

"It appears so, but if we are going to get back before my father notices we need to get moving".

Merlin rubbed the sleep from his eyes, "I should get breakfast started then?"

"There's no time Merlin, your stomach will just have to wait until we are back".

"Oh, I didn't mean it for me sire, I just wanted to make sure you had something".

Arthur moved about in the dark cave until he came across his sword. He picked it up and then handed Merlin his pack of supplies. "Come on Merlin, we need to move out now". He knew that they would get back with just enough time to change; but if they hurry, perhaps he would have time for a bath. This one night in the cave had left him feeling rather grungy.

Merlin took his pack from Arthur and reached inside. Once he found what he was looking for he stood up, "Here Arthur, at least eat some Jerky".

Arthur was starving and silently took the offered meat. He wasn't about to admit to Merlin that he was thankful for his persistence. He followed Merlin outside, but once he was there he felt a sudden chill. He reached for his cloak so he could pull it over his shoulders but found it missing. He looked toward the horses where he knew Merlin to be. It was still dark out, but he could see well enough to get a look at his servant. Merlin had his back to him, but there was something quite familiar about the way he looked. "Merlin, are you wearing my cloak?"

Merlin shook his head without turning around, "No I'm not wearing your cloak". He looked down at himself, but was glad that Arthur could not see his face; which by now was filled with embarrassment, "Sorry Arthur, I didn't take this from you. I don't know how it came to be on me".

Merlin started to undo the straps keeping the cloak fastened to his neck but noticed he also had Arthur's ring on his finger. What was going on, why was Arthur's ring on his finger. Once the cloak was off he started to say something to Arthur as he turned around, "I'm sorry sire; I don't know how this happened?"

A look of shock fell over his face as his gaze fell upon Arthur. It was a look that Arthur shared as well.

Merlin found that he was not looking at Arthur at all. Instead he found himself looking at his own face. He quickly looked down at himself again and realized that he wasn't just wearing Arthur's things, he was in fact Arthur. He looked at Arthur again and saw that he looked to be in shock. Merlin didn't need anyone to tell him why, he already knew. Arthur was looking at his body that he was no longer occupying.

Merlin came to the quick conclusion that somehow both of them had switched bodies; which was not a good thing. His thoughts raced to the fact that only magic could be responsible for this. He wanted to test his abilities to see if he was still in possession of his own magic, but he didn't want to do it in front of Arthur. He could just imagine what was going through Arthur's mind, but he knew one thing for certain, how were they going to explain this to King Uther.

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	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

* * *

Merlin made Arthur sit down on a nearby rock before saying anything. He didn't know what to say to the young prince since he didn't have a clue as to how this had happened. He traced their last events through his mind to see if something stuck out that could explain this, but there was nothing.

He had been hunting, or rather watching Arthur hunt when the prince had winged a deer. The deer managed to get away, but not before they ran off after it. They had been running and were almost upon it when they came across a ghastly sight. Before them, lay the remains of several animals at various stages of decay. They didn't know what had caused this, but it had been quickly decided to go back without their prize. It was on the way back that the storm had forced them into the cave.

Merlin pulled some water out, "Here Arthur, drink some of this".

Arthur took the water from Merlin without looking at him. He took a long drink, but continued to look away from his servant. "Merlin, what happened?"

"I don't know my lord, maybe this is only a dream and were both still sleeping in the cave".

"Then which one of us is dreaming?"

Merlin didn't have an answer for him. "We should probably get back before your father sends out a search party". It had been his attempt at changing the subject but it was the last thing he should have said to Arthur.

"What? I can't go to the palace looking like this. What do you think my father would do to us if he found out that something magical caused this? He would have us put to death on the spot, or at the most have you put to death and have me locked away in the dungeon forever. No Merlin, going back is the last thing we are going to do".

Merlin understood why Arthur didn't want to go back, but he knew if they didn't it would only make things worse. He needed to get back to the castle so he could figure out how to reverse this. He was also desperate to talk to Gaius in case he knew something.

"Sire, I have an idea".

Arthur stood up from the rock, but still refused to look at Merlin, "No Merlin, I have already made the decision that we cannot go back".

"Please sire, listen to my idea". When he didn't get any objections from Arthur he continued, "We just need to pretend to be who we look like".

"And how to you expect to be able to pull that off Merlin? My father would have us figured out the first time you spoke to him".

"I've been around you long enough to be able to make it convincing, but in case I need your help you will be around to help me".

Arthur finally turned around and faced Merlin, "I will not be your servant Merlin".

Merlin saw the look on his Arthur's face, or rather his own face and started to laugh.

It only made Arthur angrier, "What are you laughing at Merlin?"

Merlin put his head down in an attempt to hide his face, "I'm not laughing at you".

"Yes you are Merlin, what is so funny".

"I'm sorry sire, but it's hard to look at you. When I look at you I am seeing your emotions coming across my face".

Arthur was getting agitated, "What are you talking about Merlin?"

"It's just that I don't think the look on your face, or rather my face is how I would react". He could see that Arthur was not happy, "Oh come on sire, do I look like you would expect yourself to look? Are the emotions I'm portraying in your face the way you would look?"

"Of course you wouldn't look like me, you're not me. And you really expect to be able to pull this off when all you can do is laugh at me when you see me".

"Well come on sire, I would be playing you and yes, you would laugh at me, that is you would laugh at Merlin if you thought something was funny".

Arthur turned away again, "No Merlin, we would never be able to get away with this. We are not going back".

* * *

They had been on the road for an hour now and were almost back to the castle when Arthur finally spoke up, "I don't know how I let you talk me into this Merlin. If anything goes wrong and you do something to me before we can fix this". He never finished his sentence; for fear of turning back and running from the castle if he thought anymore about it. Deep down he knew Merlin was right and that they needed to go back, but he didn't know how they would be able to fix this.

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	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

* * *

The two rode back to the castle in total silence. Arthur still didn't like this and refused to discuss it with Merlin. He was too nervous thinking about what his father would do to him when he found out. Would he be willing to accept the fact that it had been magic that had caused this? Would he allow them to discover the truth about how this happened and knowingly let them use magic to reverse its affects? Or would he just accept that his son was now in someone else's body and act as if nothing had occurred.

Arthur put his thoughts out of his mind when he saw the castle in the distance. The castle that was his home and someday to be his kingdom. He looked over at Merlin and could tell that he had also seen the castle. He decided that they needed to get a few things straight before they got any further.

"Merlin, we need to devise a plan so that we can convince everyone that we are who we appear to be. We need time to figure out how to reverse this and the only way to do that is to make everyone believe there is nothing wrong".

Merlin had stopped his horse as soon as Arthur had started talking. He was glad the prince had finally come to his senses. He watched Arthur as he talked and waited until he was done before speaking.

"Now, once we get back I need to tell", he paused as he realized his mistake, "I mean you need to tell my father that we are going to take a trip to one of the other kingdoms to investigate something and that we will be leaving once the ceremony is over".

"What should I say we are investigating?"

Arthur closed his eyes and rubbed in face in frustration, "I don't know Merlin, make something up. Tell him that we came across some men on our hunt and that they provided us with some information that we wish to investigate".

"What if he wants to know the details?"

Arthur wanted to scream, but took a deep breath instead, "Merlin, please don't test me, not today. Just tell my father that we heard of some impending raid on one of our villages. He should be good with that".

Merlin thought it sounded plausible, but wanted to know more. It was the look on Arthurs face, or rather his face that changed his mind. He still couldn't get use to looking at his face when he was talking to Arthur. He didn't have to wonder if Arthur felt the same way, he knew it by the way he was acting. Arthur was raised to hate magic, so he knew this whole thing must be tearing him up inside.

"Now, when we get to the castle I want you to make sure that I am at your side the whole time. My father may want to talk to me, I mean you in private when we get back, but you must make sure it doesn't happen. I don't want you giving us away".

Merlin felt a little insulted at that statement, "You could give me some credit Arthur, you're not going to be that hard to impersonate".

Arthur stared at Merlin, his anger hidden under the glare of his eyes. "How would you know what my father and I talk about in private?" He was angry and once again wanted to scream at his servant, but he knew none of this was Merlin's fault. "Just do as I ask Merlin. We need to get away from here and find out how to change this".

Merlin watched as Arthur urged his horse ahead toward the castle. He wished he had not said what he did. He would do as Arthur asked.

* * *

King Uther was furious when he found out that Arthur had not come back yet. He waited outside trying to release his frustrations before the ceremony was to begin. He was also outside in hopes that his son would show up. He never could understand his son's need to go out on these little escapades, but he would certainly have a word with him later.

As he paced back and forth he kept an eye out for his son. He didn't really expect to see him riding up in the courtyard, but he needed to do something to rid himself of the anger he was feeling. He was just making his fourth pass around the balcony when one of his men approached him, "What is it Captain?"

Captain Smith came to attention as soon as his lord addressed him, "The ceremony is to start soon; shall I have them wait?"

"No, there shall be no delay; the ceremony will start on time". His cape flowed behind him as he walked past his captain.

The captain took another look at the courtyard before following the king.

* * *

The two rode into the courtyard together and were greeted by several foot soldiers. Arthur had momentarily forgotten who he was as he waited for one of the soldiers to take hold of his horse and keep it steady while he dismounted. His lapse of memory quickly returned when he saw them helping Merlin with his horse. He wanted to shout at the soldiers but it would do no good. He slipped from his horse and waited for someone to take the reins, but it never happened. Instead he stood there while Merlin was whisked away up the stairs by two other soldiers he hadn't noticed until now. He knew they were late and they must have been instructed to bring the prince to the ceremony as soon as he came back.

He was about to just leave his horse and go after Merlin when he felt someone hand him something. As he looked down he saw that the soldier who had helped with Merlin's horse had now handed him that horses reins. He was about to protest, but suddenly realized why the soldier had done what he did. It was always Merlin's job tend to the horses when they would come back from somewhere and since he from all appearances was Merlin they expected nothing less.

He took both horses and led them at a rather brisk pace toward the barn. He found another servant who regularly tended to the horses and explained to him that he needed to get back to the prince. He told the stable hand that the princes wishes were to have someone else tend to the horses so he could attend to the prince. The stable hand took the two horses and thought nothing of the request as he led them to the back of the barn.

* * *

Arthur made his way to the main hall where he knew the ceremony was being held. The doors were closed but he knew an alternate route that would not bring attention to his entrance. When he was inside he saw Merlin standing beside his father while his father commended the new soldiers on their abilities as they joined the ranks of the Pendragon army. He could tell by the way Merlin was standing there that he wasn't happy. He wondered if his father had said something to him. He tried making contact but was distracted as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He turned around to find Gaius.

Gaius did not have the look of someone happy, "Merlin, where have you been. The king was not pleased when you and Arthur did not return".

Arthur didn't know what to say since he had never really paid attention to the way Merlin interacted with Gaius. Instead he just stood there with a dumb look on his face.

"Well aren't you going to say anything?" He paused and waited a second, "No matter, we will discuss this later".

Arthur gave Gaius a weak smile and turned back to watch Merlin. He didn't have time to talk to anyone except Merlin. He had to think of an excuse to get rid of Gaius before he gave anything away. He knew that he would not be able to act like Merlin in front of someone who knew him so well.

He once again tried to make eye contact with Merlin and was happy when their eyes finally met. Neither wanted to look away, but Arthur understood why Merlin did. If his father suspected Merlin of not paying attention there would be added consequences to their already sticky situation. He just hoped that Merlin meant what he had said earlier, in that he would not have a hard time impersonating Prince Arthur.

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	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

* * *

As Merlin stood next to the King, he saw that Arthur had finally made his way into the room and to his relief was alone. He knew that Arthur would be mad that they had been separated, but there was nothing he could have done about it. He had to act the prince and go to his father.

He looked at Arthur in an attempt to make eye contact, but saw something that made him look away. Directly behind Arthur stood Gaius, which normally he would not have worried about, but today was different. He could tell that Gaius was saying something but he couldn't hear what it was. His thoughts burst open as he realized the potential consequences of having the two of them talk. His fear was that Gaius would say something to Arthur about his magic without knowing who he was really talking to. He looked at the ceremony taking place before him and just hoped it ended soon. He needed to get to Gaius before any further exchanges occurred between the two men. He knew that the talk of magic would probably not happen in such a large group, but there was no telling what the topic of conversation would be once they left.

He stood there for what seemed like an eternity watching Arthur and was relieved to see that Gaius was no longer talking to him. He could only guess that Gaius must have said something about discussing the matter of getting the prince back here late.

When the ceremony was finally over King Uther turned to Merlin, "Prince Arthur, these men are now pledged to you and this kingdom".

Merlin stood there smiling at the king while he addressed him, but when he continued to just stand there and smile he could see displeasure forming on older man's face. His eyes grew wide as did his smile when he suddenly remembered what the next step of the ceremony was. He was to address his new men and welcome them into the ranks of honor.

Merlin stole a quick glance at Arthur who was using his head to indicate he needed to move in front the group. Merlin moved in front of the men and cleared his throat. He desperately tried to remember the words that Arthur had used at the last ceremony. He looked at the king and could tell he was starting to get mad. He had to just wing it and hoped it turned out ok.

He turned back to the men and cleared his throat again, "Yes, well today is a good day for you. You join the ranks of countless men who came before you to ensure the freedom of this kingdom is preserved". He paused; thinking of what to say next, "From this day forward you will serve this kingdom with bravery and conviction. As long as you remember this you will be welcome into the service of the Pendragon army until such time as you are no longer able. I welcome you and look forward to having you serve along side of me".

When Merlin was finished he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see the King smiling at him. He smiled back surprised at how well he had pulled it off. He looked over at Arthur and saw a smile on his face as well. He must have done well, but he was glad it was over.

King Uther went to each man and grabbed their arms to welcome them. Merlin knew that he was supposed to do the same so he followed the king. When he was done with the last man the ceremony was over.

Arthur was glad the ceremony was over. He thought that Merlin did a convincing job, but he had to admit he was worried the whole time. The words were not what he usually said but he was sure his father wouldn't question anything. He looked at Merlin and saw him standing there, looking like he didn't know what to do. He started making his way toward him but was suddenly blocked by Gaius.

Gaius stood there in front of Arthur with one eyebrow raised, "And where do you think you're going Merlin. If I were you I would leave before the King takes notice of you. He was none too pleased with you and Arthur when he found out you had not yet arrived home. I think it best that we let him spend time with Arthur and perhaps he will have calmed down when next he see's you".

Arthur felt trapped. He needed to get to Merlin but he didn't stand a chance against Gaius. He felt his arm being tugged and realized his body was being pulled to the door. He looked over in Merlin's direction and was glad when he made eye contact.

Merlin saw Gaius had Arthur and knew he had to act quickly. He excused himself from the group of people he was with and marched over to Gaius, "Where are you taking Merlin, I need him to help me with this armor".

With a look of remorse on his face Gaius turned his attention to Merlin, "Yes Sire, but I thought you're father would want a word with you first".

Merlin tried his best to command the situation, "Yes, but I would like to change first and I need Merlin's help".

Gaius refrained from saying anything further on the subject, "Yes Sire". He turned to Arthur, "When you are done tending to the prince, I have a few things that need your attention".

Arthur just nodded his head and then watched him walk off. He turned back to Merlin, "It took you long enough. If you had waited any longer, I would have had no choice but to go with him".

Merlin leaned in toward Arthur, "I'm sorry, but I did my best. I think I did a pretty good job up there don't you think?"

"Well, my father will probably want to see me, I mean you later, but you had better change into something more fitting. Come on Merlin".

Merlin followed Arthur as he led them to his room. It never occurred to him that he should be in the lead.

* * *

When Arthur entered his room he instinctively went over to his wardrobe and started looking for something to change into. When he found what he wanted he grabbed it and started making his way to the dressing area, but stopped when he realized what he was doing. He turned and threw the shirt at Merlin, "I guess I would look ridiculous in this".

Merlin caught the shirt and realized why Arthur had thrown it to him, "I don't know about this Arthur, now that we in the palace I don't know how long we will be able to keep this up".

"Well Merlin, I don't really think we have much of a choice now do we".

Merlin never did like the sarcastic tones that Arthur took with him, but it was somehow worse when he saw it coming out of his own mouth. "What about the plan we came up with? I think we can still make our excuses and get away".

"Merlin, I don't need you to think about it, I need you to act on it. You're going to be the one to tell my father that we need to leave again".

Merlin hadn't really thought about this part of the plan and he now had second thoughts. He wanted to say something to Arthur, but thought it would be better to remain silent.

Even though he was looking at his own face, Arthur could still see that Merlin was a little apprehensive about this, "Don't worry Merlin, I won't let you do this without me right by your side. My father can be a little tough to deal with if he is presented with something he doesn't like. We just need to make sure our absence from the palace is for the upmost importance to the kingdom and he shouldn't object".

Merlin was listening, but his mind had started drifting to other matters; such as talking to Gaius. He really needed to find an excuse to go and talk to him. It wasn't unheard of for the prince to talk to the resident healer in the palace, but he didn't want to take any chances of bringing unnecessary attention to himself. He also knew that he needed to talk to Gaius alone; which was not going to be easy if Arthur kept on insisting that they stay together.

Arthur could tell that Merlin was no longer listening to him. "Merlin, are you listening to me?"

Merlin's silence told Arthur all he needed to know. He walked over to Merlin as if nothing had changed between the two of them and flicked his hand at his head, "Hello Merlin, were you listening to a word I said".

A startled look came across Merlin (Arthur's) face as he turned to the source. "Oww. I was listening to you".

"Well you could have fooled me". He walked over to his chair and sat down, "Maybe we just need to get some food and sleep before we do anything further. Merlin, I think I'll take my dinner in my room tonight".

Merlin was just about to comply but stopped, "Hey, won't it look funny if they see me in the kitchen getting my servant food?"

"What, you expect me to serve you".

Merlin was not thrilled with having to act the part of the prince, but if they were to pull this off, they needed to make this convincing, "Well, it would keep the suspicion off of us".

Arthur stood up rather abruptly, "Very well Merlin, but don't expect this every night".

He watched Arthur leave the room. He figured now was the best time to find Gaius.

* * *

In order to not run into anyone he took the most indirect route, which paid off by the time he got to the door. He entered the room that he shared with the man he thought of like a father. Gaius was standing at his table preparing something; which is usually where he found him. He tried to be quiet, but he wasn't use to sneaking around in Arthur's body. He bumped into a nearby chair and made his presence known.

Gaius stopped what he was doing and turned toward the door, "Sire, are you feeling ill".

"No Gaius, I'm not feeling ill, but I need to talk to you".

Gaius walked over and brushed off one of his seats, "Yes of course. Would you like to sit down?"

"No, I don't know how to say this, but I'm just going to come right out and say it. I'm not Arthur; I may look like him, but I am really Merlin. I don't know what happened but when we woke up this morning, we had somehow switched bodies"

"Is this a joke sire?" Gaius didn't know how to respond. He knew the prince could be a jokester sometimes, so he didn't know if this was one of those times.

"This is no joke Gaius, I really am Merlin. Here, let me show you some magic".

Merlin started reciting some incantation while his hand was extended toward the table.

Gaius tried to keep his face neutral as he watched. He didn't know why Arthur was doing this, but he knew it was no longer a joke if he was talking about magic. When nothing happened he finally spoke up, "Perhaps you have had too much celebration tonight. May I suggest that you return to your room and get a good night's rest?"

Merlin was shocked when nothing happened. He thought this was the best way and quickest way to show him who he was, but he never thought that he wouldn't still have the use of his magic. "I don't understand, this was supposed to work. Maybe I should try again".

"Sire, I think the most appropriate thing for you would be to return to your room. I think there would be grave consequences if anyone were to walk in and hear you talking about magic".

Merlin didn't budge as Gaius took his arm, "No I really am Merlin and I need to talk to you Gaius. I don't know how this happened or how to even begin to fix this".

Gaius was moved by the sincerity and honesty in his voice, "I don't know what is going on, but I'll listen".

"Thanks Gaius, I'm not sure what happened, but something caused us to switch bodies. I don't have long before Arthur returns, but I really am Merlin. How would I know about magic or how would I know that you were the one who gave me the spell book to help me learn my craft".

"It could be a test. And my response would be that I don't believe in magic".

"Gaius, do you honestly believe that Arthur would come in here and test you like this?" He stopped and paused, trying to think of something different, "how can I convince you", he paused again, "wait a minute; I know how I can convince you".

Gaius watched as Arthur ran toward Merlin's room. Within seconds Arthur was back.

Merlin handed him a rabbit's foot, "you gave this to me when you thought I needed some luck when I went out to find something to save Arthurs life. You told me that your mother had given it to you and now you were hoping it would bring me some luck. You tried to take it back when you thought you were being silly, but I wouldn't let you have it back. You also risked your life when you thought that I was going to lose mine once Arthur was cured".

Gaius stood there with a shocked look on his face. He knew there was only one person would know anything about the events that took place and that person was Merlin. "Merlin, is that really you, but how did this happen?"

Merlin felt a wave of relief course through his body, "Yes, it's really me. I was hoping you could help us figure out how this happened".

"Yes, of course, this must be resolved and quickly. You must tell me everything you know".

"I don't think I'll have time right now, but Arthur and I are going to be leaving tomorrow so it has to be before then".

"You're leaving again, how is this going to help you".

"It will buy us some more time. We don't know how long it might be before someone figures out that we were not acting like ourselves. Can you meet me in the morning? We can talk while Arthur is sleeping".

"Of course Merlin, but I still don't see how I can help before tomorrow. Perhaps you should postpone your trip until I can find something".

"There is no time Gaius. Just meet me in the morning; I should have more information for you. Oh, and don't mention this to Arthur. He would never understand why I involved you and I don't want him to know that you have anything to do with magic".

Gaius could understand the need for secrecy, but he wasn't convinced that leaving was the best thing. "I will meet you in the morning, but I beg of you to reconsider".

"We can't risk the chance of the king finding out". He looked toward the door, "I should probably get back. Arthur should be bringing dinner soon".

"You mean you have the prince serving your meals now?"

Merlin laughed a little, "Well, we need to keep it convincing".

Gaius chuckled, "That is certainly one way to do it, but please be careful, he is still the prince".

"I will, but we'll talk more tomorrow".

Merlin made his way back to Arthur's room; using the same route he had traveled to get to Gaius. He only had one thing on his mind as he walked. Why didn't he have the use of his magic? He hoped it was just because he was not in his own body and that he would get it back when they found a way to switch themselves back to their former selves. He still needed his magic to keep Arthur safe. Just because they were not in their own bodies didn't mean that he could shirk his responsibilities toward the prince.

When he got back to the princes room, he was happy to see that he had made it back before Arthur.

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	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

* * *

After the two had eaten their dinner, Merlin took to gathering up the dishes and started heading toward the door.

"Merlin, what are you doing? How would it look if the prince was seen taking his own dirty dishes back to the kitchen".

Merlin turned around, "Sorry, I'm so use to doing it that I forgot".

"Just leave them here. We'll be gone tomorrow and someone else can come and get them. We have more important things to take care of. We're leaving in the morning so we need to make sure you know what you are going to say to my father".

Arthur and Merlin spent half the night discussing where they were going. Arthur eventually fell asleep in his own bed while Merlin took one of the chairs.

* * *

The sun was shining through one of the windows in Arthur's room when Merlin woke to the sound of someone knocking. He slowly got up from his chair and stretched his arms before making his way to the door. He opened the door to find Gwen standing there. Her arms were loaded with bundles of fabric. "Gwen, what's this for?"

"I was asked to bring these up to you so that you can select which one you wish to have made into a jacket".

"Please come in, you can put them over on the table". Merlin was use to seeing the tailors making new clothes for the young prince. After all; the prince needed to look his very best, but this was usually only done if there was some specific occasion. He just hoped this was not the case.

Gwen moved to the table and laid down her bundle, "I was told that the tailor will be coming up later to get you fitted".

Merlin almost forgot who he was but remembered at the last minute that Gwen would be looking at Arthur. "Thank you Gwen".

As Gwen turned to go toward the door she saw Merlin lying in Arthur's bed. She was shocked to see him there and wanted to ask about it but quickly realized that it would be none of her business. She hoped that Arthur didn't notice what she had been looking at; she didn't want him to be embarrassed.

Merlin unfortunately saw her looking toward Arthurs bed and it didn't take him long to figure out what Gwen was thinking. He knew he had to say something or Arthur would never forgive him for letting her think he had let his servant sleep with him or at the very least let them sleep in his bed. He nervously pointed toward the bed, "He was up all night cleaning my armor so I told him to lie down and get some sleep because I needed him here bright and early".

Gwen's face grew red as she realized he knew what she must have been thinking. She didn't know what to say to his response for fear of making things worse. The only thing she managed to get out was "That was good of you. I really must be going". She quickly made her way to the door and didn't wait to be dismissed before opening the door and exiting the room.

Merlin sat back down at the table and thought he was in the clear, but the sound from the bed said otherwise.

"Merlin, what was that all about? Was that Gwen who was in here?"

Merlin froze as he tried to figure out what to say. "Yes it was Gwen".

"Well what did she want?"

"You have a fitting to look forward to".

Arthur got up from the bed and walked over to the table. As he inspected the different fabrics he finally looked at Merlin, "You mean you have a fitting to look forward to. You need to remember who you are or none of this is going to work. But it doesn't really matter; we will be gone before anyone is the wiser". He walked over to his wardrobe and pulled out some clothes and stuffed them in a small bag and then took out one last outfit and handed them to Merlin, "Here, you should wear this when you go and talk to my father".

Merlin took the clothes and without questioning him went behind the divider and started to change. "Hey, if you packed clothes for me then I should go and do the same for you".

"Merlin, when are you going to learn? You can't go into your room and start pulling clothes out. What would Gaius say about that? No, I will take care of that after we go and see father". He started pacing the room waiting for Merlin, "are you almost done?"

Merlin was not use to putting on such outfits, but he had to admit they fit rather nicely on his borrowed body. "Almost", was the only reply that came from him before he came to stand in front of Arthur, "Ok, we should probably get this over with before I lose my nerve".

* * *

Several members of the household were busy doing their daily chore when Merlin and Arthur made their way to the king's chambers. Many stopped to address the prince and then when they he wasn't looking gave a warm greeting to Merlin. Arthur knew he was treated differently, but until now he had no idea of just how different even a simple greeting could be for someone who was not a member of the royal family.

They both stopped when someone called for the Prince. Both Merlin and Arthur turned around at once to see who it was.

One of Uther's man servants was standing a few feet away as he called to the prince, "Prince Arthur, you will not find your father in his room. He is currently in the study discussing matters with a neighboring ally who arrived this morning. He sent me to find you. He wishes that you to join him".

Arthur was just about to acknowledge the man but stopped as Merlin said his thank you and told him that he would attend to his father's wishes shortly. When the servant left, Merlin turned to Arthur, "Well this is certainly not in the plans, what now?"

"We go and see what my father wants and when whoever he is talking to leaves, we will tell him we must also go". When he finished he silently hoped it was this easy. Things may not be going as he planned, but it was a minor upset that they would deal with quickly and soon be on their way.

* * *

Arthur made sure that Merlin was the first to enter the study since it would have been out of place to have the king see someone other than his son enter first. It was not uncommon for Arthur and Merlin to be seen together, but typically when Arthur was called by his father to be with him while he attended a guest; he usually was alone. He just hoped that his father would not say anything this time because there was no way he could let Merlin go alone.

King Uther looked in the direction of the interruption and immediately stood up to introduce his son, "Duke Dubois, may I introduce you to my son, Prince Arthur".

The Duke stood up and turned to Arthur, "Prince Arthur, I am pleased to meet you".

Merlin stood silent for a moment before feeling a slight nudge from behind. He took his cue and walked toward the Duke with his arm extended, "Duke Dubois" was all he managed to get out before the King took over.

The King motioned the Duke to sit down again and then motioned for Arthur to do the same. "Well now that we have that out of the way let's get down to business. Arthur, the Duke is here on urgent business, therefore I thought it best to grant his request immediately. He is in need of our assistance and I have given him my guarantee that you will do whatever is necessary to see that things are taken care of".

Merlin didn't know what to say to the king. He thought it sounded like this Duke needed the king's help and the king has offered his son's services, but this was not what he was hoping to hear. He took the chance to glance at Arthur before turning back to the king. The brief moment his eyes met with Arthur was all he needed. He knew he had to keep up with the king and answer him, "What assistance is the Duke seeking?"

If the king had noticed his son's hesitation he paid no mind to it. "The Duke is having trouble with bandits from the south of his borders. They have killed several villagers and burned down several homes, demanding restitution for what they are calling an intrusion on their land. They are accusing the Duke of taking their land without proper authorization and will continue to defend themselves if necessary to get their land. From what the Duke has said the land belongs to him. I have promised your assistance as additional forces are needed to prove who the land belongs to. You and your men are to go with the Duke and take care of this".

Merlin took this all in and had only one question, "When am I to leave".

"Immediately; your men have already been briefed and are ready to depart". The king turned away from Merlin and continued his discussion with the Duke. He never looked back at his son.

Merlin looked over at Arthur and could tell by the look on his face that their plans had now changed. He wished they could argue but he had been around the king long enough to know that there was no arguing with the man once his demands were made.

Merlin stood up and walked out the door with Arthur following. As soon as the door was closed he stopped and turned around, "I thought you said this was going to be easy?"

"How was I to know he would have other plans for us? Don't worry Merlin, I think this still may work to our benefit. We will still be leaving the castle and when were far enough from home we will just tell the Duke that I am leaving him in the capable hands of my general because we have other pressing matters to attend to. He will just have to accept it and I doubt he will want to come all the way back here to protest".

Merlin had to accept Arthur's optimism, but somehow he knew this was not going to go the way they had hoped it would. But Arthur was correct about one thing; they were leaving the castle and it would give them the additional time that they needed.

xxxxx


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

* * *

King Uther had been correct about the men Arthur was to take with him. They were ready to go and were just waiting for their prince to arrive.

Arthur had to ride behind Merlin as he took the lead with the Duke. Behind them were 50 trained soldiers that had been offered to aid the Duke if he needed it. Arthur was being sent to show the authority of the kingdom and to make sure that no one else tried to lay claim to land that was said to belong to the Duke and in essence belong to the kingdom. King Uther had made it clear that they were to protect the land from any threats. There was always a threat to Camelot and the King knew he had to keep his allies happy in case the need for their help was warranted.

Merlin did his best to keep up with the conversation the Duke had started. He had been asking several questions about the kingdom and the king; several of which he did not know the answers, but made something up just to satisfy the man. He was beginning to wonder why the Duke was asking so many questions, but he figured it was to just pass the time. They still had several more hours to go until they reached their destination.

Arthur did his best to hear what the two men in front of him were saying, but the noise from the surrounding forest was making it difficult. It also didn't help that he had this odd feeling in the pit of his stomach that something or someone was watching them. His instincts were usually correct, but for some reason his senses seemed to be heightened to a different and unfamiliar level today. He decided to keep one hand on Merlin's sword just in case. He looked ahead at Merlin and wished that he had taken his own sword; that was now at Merlin's side. He was more use to using it in battle than he was with any other sword.

* * *

It was about midday when they stopped for a small break. Only some of the soldiers had horses so it was decided that the men who had to walk sit down for water. The day was getting hot and no one needed the men falling down from dehydration.

Merlin and Arthur tethered their horses up together and each took a seat on a nearby rock. Arthur did his best to look the part of Merlin's servant and allowed him to have his water first.

Arthur looked around for the Duke and saw that he was sitting with some of the soldiers he had brought with him. He turned to Merlin, "We have a few more hours before we reach the castle, but I am thinking that once there we go and see who ever is giving the Duke trouble and make it known that it will not be tolerated. Once that is done I think we can tell the Duke that we will be leaving to attend to other business and that we will leave the soldiers with him. We can then be on our way to finding a solution to our problem".

Merlin thought about the Princes idea and liked it. It sounded solid, but he just hoped that when he suggested it to the Duke, he would be ok with the plan. "Well it sounds like it should work. I will be glad to get away from the man".

This peaked Arthurs curiosity, "Why it that?"

"Well for one thing the man never shuts up. He is full of questions, mostly about the kingdom. You would think someone in his position would know most of what he is asking already. There's also something creepy about him that I just can't quite place my finger on".

"Well if there is one thing that I have learned as a prince, it is to trust no one outside your own kingdom. There are so many others that would like nothing more than to see the king be removed from power".

While Merlin and Arthur were finishing off their water they heard shouting coming from some of the men. Arthur was first to rise. He needed to go and see what was happening but not before he pulled Merlin up, "Come on, we need to go and see what the trouble is".

Merlin never liked dealing with the soldiers because they never took him seriously, but seeing he was the prince he knew why Arthur had pulled him along. It would have been very out of place if Arthur (as Merlin) were the one to calm the men down.

As they approached the men they could see that a few of the Duke's men were trying to start a fight with the men Arthur had brought. It didn't look serious but left alone there was no telling where it could go.

Merlin felt himself being pushed forward by Arthur. When he didn't say anything he felt another nudge from behind, "What's this all about".

One of the Dukes men turned to Merlin, "your men are accusing some of my men of stealing".

Merlin looked at the men who had been fighting, "Is this true?"

One of Arthur's soldiers turned to address him, "Were missing some of our weapons and we saw those men over there looking at them earlier. We are just trying to get them back".

Merlin turned to the accused men, "Is this true, did you take the weapons".

The man in the group who first talked spoke up, "We admit we looked at them, but we didn't take anything".

The Duke was the next to respond, "I'm sure they are around here somewhere. Perhaps they fell off somewhere along the way. Prince Arthur, I suggest you send some of your men to go back and look while the rest of us move ahead. They can catch up with us later when they find their weapons".

The plan was agreed upon by everyone. Six soldiers went back to look for the weapons while the rest continued on. It had been the Dukes idea to keep his men ahead of the group away from Arthur's men so as to not provoke any further incidents.

* * *

They had been walking about 30 minutes when something was spotted up ahead by one of the Duke's soldiers. It was decided to send some of Arthur's men up ahead to check it out. At this point this left about 30 of Arthur's men left in the group who stayed with the Prince while they waited. It wasn't long before they saw some men coming toward them.

As Arthur looked toward the men he suddenly had an uneasy feeling hit his gut. The men from what he could see didn't look like his men. They were dressed the same, but they were not in the right formation as they had been taught. Out of instinct he put his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Merlin noticed Arthur's movements and looked toward the direction of Arthur's obvious distress. He didn't see anything to cause the prince to act this way, but he had known Arthur long enough to know that if he thought something was going to happen it was best for him to be prepared. He placed his own hand on his sword, or rather Arthur's sword. He was not looking forward to having to possibly use it since it was much heavier than his.

As the men approached, Merlin couldn't help but notice that the Duke had remained calm and didn't seem to see anything wrong. If Merlin was correct it almost looked as if the Duke was smiling to himself.

Within moments there was noise from behind that drew everyone's attention away from the advancing men. As Arthur turned to see what was going on he saw that his own men were now in battle with a large group of men who had seemed to come out of nowhere.

Within seconds Arthur was off his horse and running toward the battle; sword in hand. He didn't bother to see if Merlin was with him as he only had one thing in mind.

As he joined the battle he could see that they were outnumbered. He had wished that he had not sent any of his men off or they may have been evenly matched. His men were better trained, but without some of their weapons they were being beaten down, and quickly. He managed to get a few swings in when he saw that Merlin was now at his side. He could see that Merlin was doing his best but the sword he was using was obviously too large. He wanted to switch weapons but was suddenly thrown to the ground by two men who had charged him.

As he tried to regain his breath he saw that there were other men who were now ganging up on Merlin. They had him pinned up against some trees. He got up and started making his way to Merlin when he felt a sharp pain in his leg. He looked down and saw an arrow sticking out of his left leg right above the knee. When he looked back toward Merlin he was puzzled to see him standing there with his arm stretched out toward him. He should be using his sword so why didn't he have it with him. A quick look revealed it in his other hand at his side.

Before Merlin knew what was going on he was surrounded by several large angry men. He tried to see where Arthur was but was unable to see anything while he did his best to fight off the men. When the chance came he saw Arthur on the ground, which made him fight harder. He couldn't let anything happen to the prince and he needed to protect him. As the fighting continued, he saw Arthur get up and approach the group but something caught his attention. He saw a man with an arrow pointed directly at Arthur. Out of instinct he held his hand up toward Arthur and chanted some words to keep the prince safe. It was only when he saw the arrow enter the princes leg that Merlin remembered he no longer possessed his powers. He was helpless to keep Arthur safe. He was also unable to keep the men from overpowering him.

Within minutes there were several men lying on the ground either dead or injured. Arthur had been thrown back to the ground and was now sitting against a tree while several of the attackers surrounded him. He looked around and saw that they were dragging Merlin over. He looked ok from what he could see. He continued to look for the Duke, who didn't seem to be anywhere in sight.

When Merlin was brought over to Arthur he was thrown to ground next to him. A quick inspection showed that the Prince was ok with the exception of the arrow sticking out of his leg. Luckily the arrow didn't seem to be causing him much pain. He reached down to touch it but Arthurs hand quickly grabbed it away.

"I'm fine as long as you leave it alone. Do you see the Duke anywhere?"

Merlin shook his head, "No, but I was kind of busy".

Arthur rested his head against the tree as a wave of pain erupted in his leg. The wound was not deep, but any movements caused immense pain. He would have Merlin pull it out later, but he needed to assess their situation first.

From what he could see, the men who had attacked them had only suffered a few casualties, but not enough to make a difference. He also saw something that made him realize exactly what had happened. There were several of the Dukes men walking around talking with the attackers which could mean only one thing, this whole thing had to have been a set up. When he saw the Duke approaching it confirmed his suspicion.

The Duke made his way toward Merlin and Arthur and stopped directly in front of Merlin, "Well Prince Arthur, it seems like you're in a bit of a predicament now doesn't it".

Arthur was so mad at this whole thing that he forgot who he was and answered the man, "What do you want from us".

The Duke rewarded Arthur with a kick to his bad leg, "I wasn't asking talking to you", he turned his attention back to Merlin, "What, are you too good to answer for yourself? You have to have your servant answering for you. From the looks of it you may need to find a new one if that wound of his gets infected".

Merlin looked at Arthur and for the first time saw that his friend was in real pain. Judging by the sweat on his face he probably had the start of a fever as well. He looked back at the Duke, "I can answer for myself. What do you want from us?"

"Well that's better. Actually I only want you but seeing that your servant is still alive we'll take him too". The Duke squatted down to get closer, "What do I want, you ask? Well I want to make your father suffer, and what better way to do that but through his one and only son".

The Duke stood back, never offering Merlin a chance to respond. He turned to one of his men, "Load them up on the wagon, we need to get moving".

"What do we do with the others?"

"Well if they aren't dead yet then kill them and dispose of the bodies. I don't want any trace of our trail after we leave this area".

Merlin was hauled up rather roughly followed by Arthur, who yelped out in pain at the treatment he was receiving. When Merlin looked his way he thought that Arthur was on the verge of passing out, but Arthur managed to stay awake as they were both led to and thrown in the back of a covered wagon. Both were chained to the inside so there was little hope for escape, but at least they still had the use of their hands. Before they were left alone one of the men came up to Arthur and pulled out the arrow sticking in his leg. Arthur yelled out in pain as he tried to focused.

When they were alone Merlin ripped some material from his shirt and put it over Arthur's wound. It didn't look like it was bleeding much, which was a good thing. "Here, hold this down while I tie it around your leg". With another bit of material Merlin managed to get the wound tied up. "How do you feel?"

"I'll be alright Merlin. We need to figure out how to get out of here".

Merlin tested the chains that were wound around his upper body and shoulders. They seemed pretty solid, but it would have been easy to get out of if only he had the use of his magic. He looked over at Arthur and knew he had to make sure he was safe. The prince didn't look good at the moment and there was no telling how long he would last if they didn't get him some proper attention.

As they bounced around in the back of the wagon Arthur seemed to get worse. Merlin tried to think of ways to get the Prince to safety but only one thing kept coming to mind, something of which he had no way of doing at the moment. But the more he watched his friend suffer the more he knew that he would probably not survive where they were going. There was only one other thing he could think to do, and that was to teach Arthur the words to say that would set them free. He also knew that it had to be soon or they would lose their chance of getting away. No one would expect them to escape from the back of the wagon so hopefully they would not have it being watched. He had to take the chance.

Merlin grabbed Arthur by the shoulders and turned him so they were both facing each other, "Arthur, I need to get you out of here and I know of only one way to do this, but you must promise to listen to me when I tell you. It's not going to be something you will understand or want to do but it is our only chance at escaping this".

Arthur gritted his teeth together every time the wagon bounced around, but he managed to stay focused on Merlin. He didn't know if the arrow was somehow poisoned but it must have been for as sick as he was feeling. "What are you talking about Merlin, what plan do you have?"

Merlin hesitated, not sure how to tell him. When he finally found his voice he hoped the prince would not be against trying it, after all he wasn't even entirely sure that Arthur would possess the ability to command the magic that was flowing through his body. "There is something you can try that will hopefully break the chains and allow us to escape".

Arthur appeared irritated at the delay, "Well tell me what I must do to get free".

"I have a phrase that I want you to say while you hold the chains".

Arthur was confused, "What are you asking me to do, how are some words going to help us?"

Merlin knew this was not going to be easy, "Please sire, just grab hold of the chains and repeat after me. When you are saying the words I want you to concentrate on breaking the chains, can you do that?"

"I don't know how this is going to help, but if you are suggesting that we pray for a miracle then I think it is a waste of our time".

Merlin picked up a chunk of the chains and thrust them in Arthur's hand, "Please just do this for me. Now say these words, Trellium Avadia Motalius".

Merlin waited for Arthur to repeat the words and when he didn't he took hold of Arthurs wrist and squeezed tightly as he recited the words again, "Trellium Avadia Motalius".

Arthur's eyes widen as he looked at Merlin. He may have been looking at his own eyes, but he could see the intensity blazing inside. He tried to look away to avoid the look but he only received a tighter grip around his wrist. He decided to go along and say the words. "Trellium Avadia Motalius".

When nothing happened Merlin urged Arthur to try again and to make sure to focus on breaking the chains and nothing else.

Arthur tried again and to his surprise the chains broke apart. This was such a surprise that he threw the chains down as if they were the most vial thing he had ever come across, "What just happened Merlin, what did you just have me do?"

Merlin instantly took charge of their new situation and started undoing the broken chains to release the both of them, "It doesn't matter Arthur; you're free, now we need to make our escape".

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what I just did?"

"Arthur, we don't have time to discuss this, we need to get away".

Merlin finished with the chains and dragged Arthur to the end of the wagon. He stole a look outside and to his relief found it was getting dark. He also was happy to see that no one was directly behind the wagon. This was just the break that they needed to make their escape. He turned back to Arthur who still appeared to be in a state of confusion and shock, "We have to jump for it and once we are clear we need to roll to the side out of the way of anyone coming up from behind. It's dark out so we should be able to do this without drawing too much attention to ourselves".

Merlin made sure that Arthur was ready and when he felt the time was right he pulled Arthur through the back of the wagon. They both fell to the ground with a rather big thud. Merlin urged Arthur to roll to the side just before several men on horses came around the corner.

Merlin watched and waited until the men had disappeared before turning to Arthur to see if he was alright. From the looks of it Arthur had hit the road harder than he thought. His leg was bleeding quite heavily and he looked to be on the verge of passing out.

Arthur was still confused about everything that had just taken place, but the feeling he had in his stomach was making it hard to concentrate. He looked at Merlin and saw concern in his face just before he passed out.

xxxxx


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

* * *

Even though it was warm out, Arthur felt cold when he opened his eyes. From what he could tell he was lying on something hard and it smelled like a forest, but it was dark so it was hard to tell. His mind was still a little foggy but he soon remembered what had happened to him.

Merlin noticed the prince was awake by the sound of his breathing but he didn't want to say anything right away for fear the conversation would once again turn to the spell he had Arthur use to break their bonds. He always knew he would have to tell him one day, but this was not supposed to be how it happened. And now that Arthur had to use the magic before he could tell him about it only made things worse. He had no idea of what prince would do to him now that he knew.

Arthur moved his body and instantly regretted it. He felt like something was still sticking in his leg, but he knew that the arrow had been pulled out awhile ago. He moved his hand to where the wound was and felt something wrapped around his leg. It made him remember that it had been Merlin who had put something over it to stop the bleeding. He looked around for his servant and found him sitting there watching him.

Merlin couldn't ignore the prince now that he was awake and looking right at him. Hopefully the conversation about what happened would come later. They needed to figure out how to get out of their latest predicament. "How are you feeling Arthur?"

"I'll be fine Merlin. Where are we?"

"We're in a cave. I figure we're safe in here for now, but we really need to keep moving".

Arthur was having trouble remembering anything after the wagon ride, but he was bound to get his questions answered, "How did we manage to get away from the Duke? Is he out there looking for us, is that why we need to keep moving?"

Merlin nodded his head, "Yes it is. Do you think you are well enough to travel?"

He didn't think he was but he knew they couldn't stay out here like sitting ducks. His leg hurt but he could manage. He had sustained far worse injuries before, but he had to remember that he wasn't in his own body. He didn't feel as strong in Merlin's body but he didn't really have much of a choice. He had to work through the pain and find a way out.

Arthur pushed himself up against something solid and did his best to stand up, "Let's get moving".

When Merlin saw Arthur stand up he wanted to go over and help him, but if there was one thing he knew about Arthur, it was that you let him do things his own way. Helping him would only have caused tension in an already stressful moment.

* * *

It was still dark out when they left the cave. Traveling in the dark would be dangerous, but it would also help to keep them concealed.

Merlin had wanted to take the lead, but Arthur never gave him the chance. They went in the direction that seemed to make the most sense, but he had no idea if it was the right direction. He just hoped that they were not making their way toward the Duke. He knew that once their escape was discovered they would most likely be hunted.

Their travel was slow going but Arthur refused to rest his leg. They had to keep moving.

With the first rays of sunshine filtering through the trees, they were finally able to see where they were. They were still in the forest and there seemed to be no end to it in sight. Both men finally paused to take shelter under a tree as a light rain started to fall. The weather could be brutal this time of year and neither had any desire to get caught in it.

Merlin looked at Arthur and could tell he had a fever. He wanted to suggest they rest longer, but the rain didn't last long and the prince was ready to keep moving. He just wished they had some water. It might help to keep the fever at bay.

He could see that Arthur's wound had bled quite a bit while they walked and the rain didn't help the bandages he had put around the leg, "Sire, perhaps we should rest a moment so that I can change the dressing on your wound".

Arthur looked down at his leg and saw that the blood was seeping through the cloth. The last thing he needed was for it to provide a trail to the enemy. "Yes, you are probably right Merlin. Just be quick about it, I don't like sitting still for too long".

Merlin was grateful for the chance to stop. He took off the old strips of cloth that were now soaked in blood. The wound didn't look too bad, but it was all red and puffy which meant that an infection could be setting in; which explained the fever he was starting on the princes face.

As gentle as he tried to be, he still caused distress to the Prince, who let him know by hitting him on the head. Merlin thought it kind of ironic that while Arthur was angry with him, he was actually just hitting his own head.

They were soon on their way again and were now making good time. Neither had a clue as to their exact location, but something in the woods indicated they were coming to the end of it. At least they would be able to see where they were finally.

* * *

Duke Dubois and his men had been traveling for a good part of the evening when it was decided to stop and make camp. It would still be awhile before they reached his castle and traveling at night was something he didn't like to do.

As his men were clearing out some space for their gear the Duke went back to check on his prisoners. He would let them sit with his men tonight, but once they were at the castle he hoped they didn't expect the same treatment. He had only been planning on having one guest with them so it was a nuisance to have two. He only wanted Arthur, but his man servant seemed to be ever where he was so he had no choice but to take both of them. Perhaps the one they call Merlin would get an infection from the arrow and perish soon. He hoped so.

There were a few of the men who had been in the back of the group that were just riding up as he made his way to the wagon. He didn't bother to acknowledge their presence except to ask a few of them to help him with the prisoners.

About 4 of the men stayed while the others went to help set up camp. The four that stayed watched the duke as he went to open the back of the wagon.

The duke pulled back the opening and when he didn't see anything thought that they must be pressed against the wall away from the opening. He went in further as his eyes adjusted to darkness and suddenly let out a loud cry.

He didn't see anyone in the wagon. It was totally void of anything except for the broken chains that once held his prisoners.

He rushed out of the wagon, "The prisoners are gone. How could they have escaped?" He glared at the 4 men that had stayed behind. They had allowed this to happen, but he didn't have time to deal with them. His main concern was finding Arthur and his servant. He could not allow them to make their way back to Camelot.

He started yelling orders to his men to fan out and search the surrounding area for any signs of when they might have escaped or where they may have gone. He ordered a few men to get on their horses and go back through the trail they had just come through to see if there were any signs.

This night would not be as restful as he had hoped.

* * *

Arthur was the first to come into the clearing. He had finally exited the woods and could now see what lay beyond. What he saw however wasn't much to look at.

Merlin exited the forest directly behind Arthur and was disappointed to see a big wide open space that didn't look familiar. He could tell that Arthur wasn't happy, but he could also tell that he wasn't doing very well, "Maybe we should rest here for awhile".

Arthur walked toward a tree stump and sat down. "Yes Merlin, that sounds like a good idea".

When Merlin didn't get any objections from the prince he knew he must be feeling poorly. He would never have let them rest while there was daylight still left to travel by. He didn't say anything, but walked over to Arthur and started inspection his leg.

The wound had started to fill with pus and had turned a nasty shade of red. There was no doubt about it, the wound was infected. Time was crucial now if he was to get the prince back home. He was also concerned that the infection was farther along that he would have liked. Arthur had not complained once while he had removed the make shift bandage. He could also see by the sweat on his face that the prince had a fever for sure.

Arthur was numb the whole time Merlin was checking his leg. He didn't feel well and felt like just lying down and going to sleep. He was warm, yet he felt chilled so he knew he had a fever, which left unattended to could lead to something worse.

Merlin finished covering the wound and stood up to get a better look of the land. He wished he had his magic because that would have given him the ability to see farther, but he could only look through Arthurs non-magical eyes.

He knew that Arthur needed help, but would only slow him down while he looked for which direction to go in. He had to leave Arthur behind in order to help him.

He looked back toward the woods and realized that it was Arthur's only hope while he searched. "Arthur, I am not sure which direction to go, but I could make better time if I went alone. I think it would be best if we find a hiding place in the woods for you while I scout ahead. Once I see the closest town I'll know which direction to take you in".

He looked at Arthur for any signs of agreement, when he didn't get any he knew he had to hurry. If Arthur was not complaining about this then there was no time to waste.

xxxxx


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

* * *

Merlin was worried about Arthur. He had found a great hiding spot for him, but had expected some resistance when he brought him to the spot. He expected Arthur to insist that he was well enough to go with him, but the fact that he didn't made him want to get moving as soon as the prince was hidden.

The place he had found to hide Arthur was the inside of a large hallowed out tree. It wasn't much, but it was roomy enough for him to spread his body out and lay down. He pulled the cloak from his back and used it to cover the prince up. A pile of leaves would have to serve as a cushion for his head.

He had even managed to find some fruit that would at least provide him with some needed fluids. It would not be able to replenish what he had already lost, but it was something.

He hated leaving him, but he needed to find help and would only been slowed down by having him along. Once he learned which way to go, he would be back to get Arthur and get him some help. He knew he could do this without much effort and time since Arthur's body was definitely more fit than his own.

One he exited the forest he made a mark on one of the trees that would help him know which way to head in order to get back to Arthur.

He took the path off to the right since it seemed to offer a clearer path. The one to the left seemed to eventually lead back to the woods, which is not where he wanted to go. But he knew he had to be careful out in the open. He didn't know where the Duke and his men were and if he were to be seen it would be devastating. He decided to walk the path, but stick close to the edge, in case he needed to fly into the weeds by the side to hide.

* * *

Arthur had a vague idea of what Merlin was going to doing, but he had felt totally helpless when he was led to the inside of the tree. He lacked the strength to put a stop to it.

Sitting against the inside of the tree, while waiting for Merlin, gave him plenty of time to think about his current situation. They were no closer to coming up with a solution to their predicament and now they had to get back to Camelot after being abducted by this Duke Dubois. He tried to think why this man would want him, but nothing came to mind.

Some noise coming from outside caused him to jump, leaving him with some very regrettable pain in his leg. He sat as silent as he could while listening for the noise again, but when it didn't happen he figured it was just an animal.

As he rubbed his leg he wondered why it was causing him so much pain. He had been hit with an arrow before but was always able to get around. The only explanation he could give was that he was in Merlin's body, which wasn't in the best shape. He would have to make sure that changed once they were in their own bodies.

* * *

Merlin had been walking for awhile. He was starting to get annoyed since the scenery was the same every where he looked. It was flat land with nothing to see. At least the path he was on was starting to go up hill. Maybe this would lead to something of interest.

After about 10 minutes of steady walking he looked back to where he had come from and saw that he had definitely been going uphill. It hadn't looked like much when he started, but inclines in the land could be quite deceptive. This was starting to give him hope. Many towns like to set up on higher ground.

As the path seems to even out, he knew he had to be careful. He didn't know what to expect and the last thing he needed was to be caught off guard.

He saw some trees up ahead and decided to use them as cover. Once inside the trees he kept moving upward.

It was the sounds that made him stop dead in his tracks. He held his breath while he listened. Is sounded like children if he wasn't mistaken. There laughter was the same as he had heard back at the castle on numerous occasions. If there were children out playing then there had to be people who might be able to help.

He quickened his pace as he walked toward the sound. As he got closer he could definitely tell it was children, at least 3 of them by the different tones of giggling.

He slowly exited his hiding place and came out into a small open field where there was in fact 3 children playing. He was hoping to come out unnoticed, but as soon as one of the little girls turned and saw him she screamed and went running to the biggest kid, who, by the looks of it was her brother.

He hadn't planned on scaring them, but he should have realized that a stranger coming out of the trees from nowhere could be frightening. He started to move toward them to let them know he was not there to harm them when a sudden pain in his leg erupted. The pain was so intense it brought him to his knees. When he looked up toward the children he found he was alone.

The pain continued to radiate throughout his leg, but he couldn't find anything wrong with it. It must have been a cramp or something caused by all the walking. He stood back up and started walking to where the children had been playing. They must have run back to their home when they saw him go down. He had to find out where they had run off to if he was going to bring help back to Arthur.

* * *

Arthur had managed to fall asleep despite his current position. He had tried to stay awake, but he had finally given in to what his body needed.

It was the sound of an axe splitting wood that made him sit straight up, only to hit his head on the inside of the tree.

Like before he stayed as quiet as he could in order to hear where it was coming from. It sounded like it was close, but he knew that sounds like that could echo from far away and make it sound like it was right next to you. He rubbed his leg before moving closer toward the opening of the tree. At least the pain was not as bad as it had been before; the sleep must have done him some good.

He peered outside and saw that it was still daylight. He wished he knew how long he had been asleep, but as long as he stayed put he would be fine. He looked around from the inside of the tree as best as he could, but didn't see anything. He pushed himself a litter farther out, but the pain in his leg forced him to stop. He rested against the tree before trying it again. This time it worked.

He leaned on his knees ignoring the strain it was putting on his wound. He slowly raised his head and looked around. When he saw nothing, he moved to the other side of the tree.

His eyes went wide as he saw two men with axes hacking away at one of the many trees in the forest. They had their backs to him so he knew they had not seen him. As quietly as he could, he moved back to the shelter of the tree.

He moved back to the inside of tree and hoped they didn't find him. He knew he needed help, but without knowing if these men were good or bad he couldn't take a chance. He had to stay and wait for Merlin.

* * *

Merlin didn't have to walk long to see where the children had gone. A small house and barn stood in front of him and from the smoke coming out of the chimney, it was occupied.

He didn't see the children go inside, but he knew this was their home. On the side of the home there was laundry drying in the sun and several of the items were small. He started walking toward the house, but called out so as not to scare anyone again, "Hello, is anyone home?"

When he didn't receive a response he moved in closer and called out again, "Hello?"

"What do you want?"

Merlin heard the voice of a woman, but didn't see anyone. "I need some help?"

"You look fine to me; now go away before my husband gets home".

Merlin thought the voice had come from behind the house. He didn't want to scare her so he slowly moved in that direction. He didn't get far. He stopped when he felt something sharp poking his back. He put his hands up and looked around. When he didn't see anyone he looked down. Standing behind him holding a stick to his back was the oldest boy he had seen in the clearing only moments before. "I'm not here to cause trouble. I just need help with a friend of mine and was wondering if you had any medicine or if there was a town nearby".

This time the woman came from around the house before she spoke. "We don't have anything so why don't you be on your way".

"Please, I don't want anything but some help. I won't harm you, I promise".

The woman looked Merlin over. She took in the way he was dressed and knew he was not the typical traveler. "Where are you from?"

"I'm from Camelot, please is there a town nearby?"

"Shellsburg is the only town around here. Why are you out here?"

Merlin tried his best to smile at the woman to reassure her, but he didn't really know if it looked genuine since it was not even his face she was seeing, "My friend and I were traveling when we got lost. He got hurt and now I need to find him some help".

"Were you out with those other men when you got lost?"

Merlin froze at the words 'other men'. He suddenly felt nervous being out in the open like this, "What other men".

"About 6 of them, but they were not dressed as fancy as you. They said they were looking for someone".

"How long ago were they here?"

"Not long, but they had come from Shellsburg so I suspect they went that way". She pointed in the direction of where he had left Arthur.

Merlin knew he had to get back to Arthur. He gave the woman a pleading look, "Please, I promise I am not here to hurt you, but I need to get moving. Do you think you could have your boy remove that stick from my back?"

"John, go find your brother and sister".

John didn't say anything, but took the stick away from Merlin and ran off toward the barn.

Merlin took a long heavy breath. He knew the boy had not been much of a threat, but he was glad he was gone, "Thank you".

The woman didn't move from her spot, but her face took on an ugly expression, "Now get out of here before my husband gets back. He won't be so nice to ya if he catches you here".

Merlin didn't bother to thank her again. He turned around and made a quick retreat back to where he had come from. He just hoped that the men didn't find the tree with Arthur in it. He should never have left him alone.

* * *

What seemed like hours, Arthur held his breath while listening to the men outside. He could tell that they had moved in closer to his hiding place and he was getting worried. He was pretty sure they had not seen him, but he didn't know if he could risk getting caught.

He moved back to the opening of the tree and decided it was best if he found another hiding place before it was too late. A quick inspection revealed that they were not by his tree yet, so it was now or never. He could use the bushes around the tree as covering, but that would mean he would have to crawl. He didn't know how far that would take him, but at the moment he had no choice.

He dashed as fast as he could out of the tree and started moving on his hands and knees. He looked ahead and within a few feet he thought it would be safe to stand up and use the next tree as a shield.

The crawling caused immense pain, but he was glad to see he had finally made it to the tree. He used the base of the tree to lean on as he stood up. By the time he was standing up he was sweating and breathing hard. This had been harder that he thought.

He looked around the area to figure out his next move. He could see one of the men still working on the tree they had cut down, but where was the other guy. Arthur didn't have time to worry about it. He held on to the tree as he made his way to the other side. Once he was on the other side he could see he would have to make a run for it to the next tree. There was nothing in front of him, not even a bush. But if the men were busy with their tree they wouldn't even notice him.

He took a few deep breathes and focused on the closest tree. He started to run, but soon discovered where the other man was. To the right of the path the other man suddenly appeared. Arthur panicked and started to turn away from him, but this was the worst thing he could have done. By twisting his body so abruptly he didn't have time to think about where he was going. His wounded leg didn't twist with him like he thought it would and it caused him to fall. As he fell he thought he heard the man in front of him start to yell, but he never got a chance to find out what he said. He blacked out before his head hit the ground.

xxxxx


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

* * *

Merlin ran all the way back to Arthur, but when he finally got there he found the inside of the tree empty. He wanted to start panicking, but he knew it wouldn't help him find Arthur.

He didn't see any signs of a struggle inside of the tree, so whatever happened to him must have occurred outside the tree. He slowly moved away from the tree as he looked in every direction in hopes of finding something, anything that would tell him what happened.

The surrounding trees and bushes didn't tell him much, but the ground around it told him a lot. He could tell Arthur had crawled away from the tree and made his way over to another tree. He retraced the same path to where it ended and looked around to see what Arthur might have been looking at. He saw what looked like a newly cut tree, but why would he have been looking there? He moved around the tree and saw something that caught his eye.

The ground looked like something had crushed it because the grass and weeds were all pushed down. It also appeared that the same thing that had caused the damage had been dragged away. The trail looked like it led him to the center of the forest, but since he wasn't familiar with the area he didn't know for sure. There was only one thing he could do was to follow the only clue he had.

* * *

Arthur had a vague sensation of having been dragged through the woods, but he was unconscious for most of it so he didn't know how long it had lasted. He also remembered being thrown onto something hard and then being jostled around. His foggy brain could only equate the feeling of how it was to ride in the back of a very old worn out wagon.

When he finally opened his eyes he closed them again rather quickly. It wasn't so much of what he saw when he opened his eyes, but who he saw. Standing over him were three young children. The tallest of the bunch was holding a stick and trying his hardest to look menacing.

Before he opened his eyes again he heard one of them calling out.

"Mother, he's finally awake".

Arthur took a chance and opened his eyes again. He saw the three children still standing there, but this time there was an older woman standing there with them. She looked like the kids so he could only assume she was their mother. He gave the woman a weak smile but remained silent.

The woman put her arms around the children, "All right you three, time to go out and play for awhile".

Two of the children were more than eager to leave, but the one who had been holding the stick spoke up, "You may need my help with him, perhaps I should stay with you".

"Nonsense, you go out and play and take your brother and sister with you. I can handle this one".

Arthur watched as the three of them left. He looked over at the woman and saw that she was rinsing out some cloth in the basin of water next her. When she was done she turned to him and put it on his head.

"Well you've been asleep for awhile now, but not to worry, your wound has been all cleaned up and your fever seems to be coming down finally".

This would explain why he felt so weak, but he didn't like it when she said he had been asleep for a while, "How long have I been here?"

She finished patting his head with the wet cloth before responding, "Well my husband brought you home last night, and it's well past noon today, so I would say at least half a day".

He finally remembered the men in the woods and realized that one of them must be this woman's husband. They must have been cutting down trees for firewood or something, or at least he hoped that was what they were doing. He needed to find Merlin and didn't have time to deal with these people if they turned out to be something other than simple folks living off the land.

He felt awful, but when he tried to sit up he soon regretted it. A sharp pain stating in his leg radiated throughout the rest of his whole body. He tried to sooth the pain by rubbing the wound, but was soon confused by what he felt there.

The woman had been tending to something off to the side and hadn't noticed Arthur moving, but when she saw him feeling his leg she sprang to life, "No, you need to leave that alone or it won't work".

Arthur pulled his hand away and found that it was now covered in thick black goo, "What is this stuff?"

"It's some poultice that my mother taught me how to make. It works wonders on infected wounds. You had a pretty nasty infection starting. I just hope I got to in time".

"What do you mean in time", Arthur didn't like the way she had said the last part.

The woman starting examining Arthur's leg to see what damage he may have caused, "Well, it looks like you managed to wipe some of it off, I'll need to put some more on".

Arthur wasn't used to having his questions ignore, "What did you mean by getting there in time?"

The woman took notice to his agitation, "What I meant by time was I had just hoped that the infection had not spread or it would be harder to heal. If you leave this on to dry you will soon heal, but you have to leave it alone".

Arthur finally noticed the smell of the slime, "What is it anyway?"

"Oh it's a mixture of some plants and bugs".

"Did you say bugs?"

"Now I don't want you to worry about it. I need to go and get some more to put on your leg, so don't touch it while I'm gone".

He was started to feel nauseous so he laid his head back down. When he felt better he found that she was back from where ever she had gone and was now working on his leg again. "Did I fall asleep again?"

"Yes you did, but its sleep that you need now anyway. I made some soup, would you like some?"

"No, I'm not hungry". He studied her as she stood up. She seemed rather young for having had three children. "What's your name?"

"My name is Ann, what's your name?"

"It's Arthur".

"Well nice to meet you Arthur, so what were you doing in the woods anyway? When John found you he said you looked frightened when you saw them. Are you running from someone?"

He had to be careful what he told her. He didn't know who she was or for that matter where he was. She could be in with the Duke and his plans and could easily turn him in, "I was out hunting and we got lost. I couldn't find my companion and thought I would rest in the forest hoping he would come back".

"Oh, well I don't know where your companion is, but John brought you back here since you were in no condition to take care of yourself. But now that you're awake, I would suggest you get better soon. John doesn't like having strangers around".

"I would like to leave as soon as possible. I don't want to make trouble for you or your kids".

"Kids; I don't have any children".

"Oh, but what about the kids that were in here, one of them called you mother?"

"Oh that's why you thought that; no, they are my brothers and sister. Our mother died last month and they are still having trouble adjusting. My husband and I live here with them and our father. He was the other man who brought you back. His name is Simon".

"Sorry, I just assumed they were yours, but that would explain why they look like you".

He closed his eyes as another wave of pain rushed through his body. He put his arm over his eyes to shade out the light. He could feel Ann as she continued to tend to his leg. Whatever she had put on his leg made it hurt, but the warmth soon eased the discomfort. He looked up from under his arm and saw that she had moved to the fireplace. It looked like she was getting some food ready. He wondered if he would soon be meeting her husband and father. He was hoping to ask them if they had seen anyone else in the woods. He needed to find Merlin.

* * *

Merlin had followed the trail for a short while before it disappeared. It was replaced with what looked like wagon wheels.

The new tracks moved away from the forest and he wondered if they led to the same place he had just come from. The woman had said her husband was out, so maybe the wagon tracks belonged to him. But if this was the case then what was he doing with Arthur. His mind started going over every possibility, but the one he kept coming up with was that the Duke had found him. He wondered if the family he had encountered had anything to do with the Duke.

With a sense of urgency he started following the wagon tracks. He was so focused on where he was going that he failed to notice a group of men that were now headed straight for him.

There were 4 men in the group and the instant they spotted Merlin they took action.

One of the men took charge and motioned to the others to take cover. He didn't want to lose the prize again.

Merlin continued to follow the wagon tracks and failed to notice anyone crouching in the bushes. If he had seen them or at least sensed their presence he would have been able to defend himself when one of them quietly slid up behind him and thrust their sword in his back.

xxxxx


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

* * *

Arthur graciously accepted the soup that Ann offered him. He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten.

He looked at Ann as she tended to her chores, "Thanks for the soup, it's really good".

Ann stopped what she was doing and turned to Arthur, "Your welcome. It's not much, but you're welcome to more if you like".

"I would like that". He handed his bowl to her and leaned back into the chair he was now sitting on.

Once he had another bowl Ann decided to sit down at the table with him, "so tell me, why were you out here in the woods without any gear? Are you from one of the nearby villages?"

"Yes, I came from one of the villages. My gear would be with Merlin, whom I became separated from".

She gave him a suspicious look, "Well then how did you get hurt?"

Arthur had hoped she wouldn't have asked about this, but he had to tell her something, "I fell from one of the trees I was occupying and landed on a rather sharp branch".

Ann didn't think it looked like a wound from a branch, but she didn't say anything. "Well go ahead and finish up with your soup then. My husband will probably have more questions for you so you will need your strength".

* * *

Arthur hadn't remembered falling asleep, but the sound of laughing children woke him from his slumber.

He sat up trying to rid himself of that feeling one gets when they wake up from a strange dream but isn't sure if they are not still dreaming. He rubbed his eyes and realized that he was indeed awake and no longer dreaming. He couldn't remember the exact details of his dream, but the surroundings he was now looking at brought everything back to perspective.

He was still the guest in someone's home and he was nowhere close to finding Merlin.

Ann noticed that he was finally up and called out to him, "I'm glad you're awake. John has been rather anxious to talk to you".

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep".

"You needed the sleep".

Arthur could tell that he had woken just in time for their dinner time. The three children that he had seen earlier were now all huddled around the table eating the same soup that he had feasted on earlier. He didn't see anyone else and wondered where Ann's husband John was.

As if Ann read Arthur's mind she responded to him, "Johns out back washing up. The children usually eat first and then the men come in for dinner. There's not enough room for all of us to eat at the same time anyway so this works the best".

Arthur could see that they lacked the space for a large crowd at the table. He noticed the two boys were spending more time goofing off instead of eating. Their sister was behaving herself, but it looked like she was struggling to get her soup from the bowl to her mouth. He smiled to himself at the sight of it all. He didn't know how long he had been staring at the kids, but he was soon brought back to his current position by Ann. He turned to look at her and found that there were now 2 men standing with her.

Ann could tell he was lost in thought, but now that her husband and father were here she wanted to get the introductions out of the way so they could have their dinner. She had waited politely, but was grateful when he finally noticed her, "Arthur, I would like to introduce you to my husband John".

Arthur saw the men and knew that they were indeed the ones from the forest. He could also see that there was a definite age gap between the two men. He instantly knew which one was John. He was the younger man who looked to be about 20. Ann's father carried a long hard life on his face and looked to be about 40. He sat up straighter to address John, "Hello John".

Ann then introduced her father, "And this is my father Simon. He is the one to thank for bringing you back here and giving you food and shelter while you recover".

He looked at Ann's father, "Hello Simon, I do indeed thank you for all that you have done for me".

Simon seemed like a jolly sort of fellow and smiled, "My pleasure young man".

John on the other hand looked suspicious of the whole thing but remained silent until his father in-law was finished talking.

Simon turned and looked at his children at the table, "Why don't you go out and play now. We would like to visit with our guest".

The children quickly complied with their father's wishes and were soon up and out the door.

John and Simon took two of the empty seats. "So, my Ann tells me your name is Arthur. Well Arthur, why don't you come over to the table and sit with us for dinner".

Before Arthur could say anything Ann was at his side ready to help him to the table. "Thank you Ann".

Once Arthur was seated at the table the questions he was anticipating started coming.

John was the first to ask, "so Arthur, what were you doing out in the woods all alone and wounded".

Arthur turned to John, "well we were out hunting and I had an accident. My companion went to look for help, but you found me before he could return".

John prodded further with his questions, "Well where is your friend now? Should we expect him soon"?

"I doubt that he knows where I am".

"So what were you hunting? We don't get many hunters out this way this time of year".

Simon had been patiently listening to his son in-law, but decided now was a good time to say something, "Now John, let's finish up with our dinner first. There will be plenty of time for questions after we eat".

John shot his father in-law a quick look but complied with his wishes. He remained quiet until they were done with dinner.

As Ann cleared the bowls away from the table Simon broke the silence, "Well that was as fine a dinner as ever Ann". He looked at Arthur, "did you enjoy your soup Arthur?"

Arthur had been patiently waiting for their conversation to continue, "Yes, Ann gave me a couple of bowls earlier and I do agree it was a fine soup". He turned and smiled at Ann as she took his bowl away.

Once Ann left to clean the dishes Simon took a more serious tone with Arthur, "So, tell me again what you were doing out here in these woods?"

"I was out hunting with a friend when I was hurt".

"What were you hunting this time of year?"

"I was hoping to catch a deer".

Simon caught the skeptical look on his son in-laws face before continuing, "Did you know that it is against the law to hunt deer this time of year. If the Baron found out you had been hunting he would have you arrested".

Arthur wasn't about to tell these men the truth about recent event let alone tell them who he was. He should have realized that it was against the law to hunt deer in the area, but getting caught in a possible lie only caught him off guard for a moment, "Yes, I know that it is illegal to hunt deer, but we had permission".

John was tired of this and took over the conversation, "Permission from who? Unless you have something in , the Baron does not tend to believe just anyone. You were lucky that you were not caught by his guards".

Arthur knew of which Baron they were speaking of and knew they spoke the truth. He had never met this man before, but he knew the man was loyal to his father. It also gave him a clear idea of where he was now. He was not that far from his own land and thought it would be best to get back to his father and ask for help in finding Merlin. "Well I thank you for being the ones to find me. I promise not to cause you any trouble".

"Well, I don't know you good enough to know if you speak the truth, but I do know you never answered my question".

"My friend's father gave us permission".

"Unless your friend is well connected, no father's permission is enough to break the law".

Arthur wanted the subject dropped, but being unable to say who he really was, he had to take to onslaught of questions if he were going to receive their help. "My friend's father is an advisor to the king. I was asked to show my friend the finer skills of hunting".

Arthur tensed up at the silence that now filled the room. He could see John was eyeing him suspiciously and thought that he was not buying his story.

John gave Arthur a once over before responding, "Don't take this the wrong way, but you don't exactly look like someone who would be teaching anyone how to hunt. You actually look more like a servant than anything".

The mention of the word '_servant'_ brought things to a standstill for Arthur. Without having Merlin around to constantly remind him of their situation, he had forgotten that he was talking to them through Merlin's face and body. The look on John's face and now Simon's face told him that they didn't really believe anything he was telling them. Perhaps the truth was the only thing that would work in the case. He didn't really have anything to lose at this point.

"Ok, I suppose I owe you the truth about everything. You did find me and bring me back here after all, and that was something you didn't have to do". He watched the two men cautiously, trying to think of how to start. He knew he needed to be convincing with this next story.

Just as he was about to start talking he felt a rather sharp pain crash across his face followed by sharp kick to his ribs. The sensation left him breathless as he felt all the air exit his lungs. He somehow managed to avoid passing out, but his actions did not go unnoticed.

* * *

Merlin tried with all his might to catch his breath, but the kick to his ribs was just too much to bear. He sank to the ground as his world went dark.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry this update took so long, but I have recently acquired some time to do some more writing, thanks to a broken foot that will require surgery next week. I foresee having even more extra time to work on this story as well as my other stories now that I am being forced to stay off my foot for at least 2 weeks after surgery.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

* * *

Merlin was aware he was lying on a hard cold floor, but he didn't know how long he had been there. The last thing he remembered was being beaten until he passed out.

He raised his head off the floor and found that the room he was in was not completely dark. There was a small window that allowed light from the moon to shine in. He now knew it was sometime during the night, but without being able to see the exact position of the moon, he didn't know what part of the night it was.

The sun had still been high in the sky when he was beaten, so by his guess he had been out for at least a couple of hours if not more. He could not afford to lose any more time.

He used what light he had to look about his prison. It was bare with the exception of a small table and chair and what appeared to be his bed; which was only a cloth laying over some hay.

He tested his legs by standing up. They were a little shaky but he managed to move over to the only chair in the room. He could still feel where they had kicked him in the chest and he had to wonder if he didn't have a few cracked ribs. Other than that, he only had bruises to various parts of his body to worry about.

He needed to find a way out of this room, but there didn't seem to be anything that might prove useful. He wished he still had his magic, but since that was no longer an option he had only his brain to rely on.

A wave of nausea was the only reward he received while trying to come up with a plan. He laid his head down on the table hoping the feeling would go away. He knew being sick would help no one.

* * *

Arthur had not passed out after he felt like someone had kicked him in the ribs, but he also didn't feel well either. He had just been talking to John and Simon when the odd sensation overcame him. His hosts didn't know what to make of it because there was absolutely no reason for him to grip his chest in agony, but the reason for it didn't deter Ann from acting. She was immediately by his side, trying to offer what she could. It had been her decision to get him back to bed, stating he was not ready yet.

That had been a few hours ago and the sleep that had overtaken him once he was put back in bed was something he had needed. But now he was awake and ready to continue talking. He felt slightly nauseas, but it was not enough to prevent him from getting out of bed. As for any lingering effects from the pain he felt, there were none.

John and Simon were still awake, but had since moved from the table to the fire. Each had a pipe that they were now smoking from.

It was John that noticed movement from the rear. He looked over and found their guest standing there looking at them, "Well, I take it you had a good rest?"

Having been spotted, Arthur took the last open seat by the fire before responding. "Yes, thank you for allowing me to rest. I don't know what overcame me before".

John studied Arthur's face while taking another puff from his pipe, "Well you have Ann to thank for that. She insisted you were not ready to be up and about yet. So what's your story then?"

John had not wasted any time in trying to get his previous question answered. Arthur had hoped for a little more time before having to answer. "When you said I looked more like a servant you were correct. I was out here hunting with my master when we came across a little trouble".

John's face perked up at the mention of trouble, "Well I knew you were nothing more than a servant. So what were you really doing out here in the woods and what kind of trouble found you?"

"The part about hunting was the truth, except that I was not our here to show anyone how to do it. My master had gotten bored and wanted to have some fun. It was all quite innocent I assure you, but we came across some men who took my master".

John smiled to himself, "It was no doubt some wardens who came across your friend. As I mentioned before, hunting is not allowed this time of year".

"No, they weren't wardens. I told you the truth about having permission about hunting the woods. No, it was someone else who took him".

"Well it doesn't really matter who took him. The law around here is pretty strict. I'm just surprised that they let you go". John suddenly paused. The thought of someone coming to find this man had not really occurred to him until now, "we can't afford to have any trouble. Come morning, I think it would be best if you were on your way".

Arthur wanted to get away, but he knew he needed their help in getting back home quickly so he could raise an army to go after Merlin, "I don't think anyone is looking for me. They probably think I'm dead and besides, they were only interested in my friend".

"I don't care, I want you gone tomorrow".

"I will leave tomorrow, but I need to get back to Camelot as fast as I can. Is there anything you can do to help me?"

Up to this point Simon had chosen to remain silent, but he decided to answer Arthur's question, "I will take you back myself. Like John, I want you gone from here, but unlike John I am willing to help you". He knew that John would have said no, but he wanted any possible threats away from his family and he was willing to do what it took to make sure it happened quickly.

Arthur was relieved with Simon's answer. He was hoping they would just give him horse, but he knew they would want the horse back so he had to take what was offered. He needed to get back to his father and get his army together.

* * *

Arthur woke to someone shaking him rather roughly. He tried to turn over to avoid having to wake up but the person was so insistent that he gave in and opened his eyes.

Simon was standing over him, "Time to get up and get moving. I want to be back by dinner time".

Arthur sat up and stretched his aching muscles. His bed had not been the best, but he didn't think he should feel this lousy after sleeping on it for a day. It made him wonder if Merlin had slept any better than he did.

* * *

Merlin had spent a good amount of time coming up with a plan to get away but at some point he had drifted off to sleep while still sitting in his chair. It was the sensation of someone shaking his shoulders that made him bolt straight up from his chair. He looked around and found that he was alone. He also noticed that it was now morning. The room he was in was much brighter than before, but the window allowing the light in was small so it didn't help him figure out where the sun was. But by the way his stomach growled he guessed it was still early morning. He wondered if they would be coming with food soon. If they were he had to be ready.

* * *

They had been walking for about 3 hours and Arthur was getting tired. He leg still throbbed and the walking didn't help. He had wished that he could have had a horse, but Simon never offered him one. He told him that if he wanted their help he would have to walk.

Even with his bum leg, they managed to finally arrive at the entrance to his land. In the distance he could see his home, the castle that he would one day become king of, or at least he hoped he would. He still had to find out how to get back into his own body before he could even think about that, and the only way to do that was to get help in finding Merlin.

As they passed through the forest he heard movement coming from ahead. His natural instincts kicked into gear and he stopped to listen. He wanted to tell Simon to stop but he saw that the older man had already done so. He didn't have to wonder long if Simon had heard the same thing.

Simon had noticed some slight movement from his vantage point, but it was the noise coming from the trees that made him stop. He turned around to warn Arthur, but saw that he had already done so. He got down from his horse and silently moved back to Arthur's position. "I think this is where I leave you. I heard movement ahead and I don't want any trouble. Camelot is not far from here so I think you can handle the rest of your trip on your own".

Arthur was fine with his idea and was just about to tell him when several men came out of the trees and surrounded them. From the way the men were dressed he knew exactly who they were. They were part of his guards who were most likely on a training mission. He could tell this by the way the men were dressed.

The guard in charge came up to the group of men last and as soon as he saw Merlin he was confused, "Merlin, good to see you back, but where is Arthur, and who is this man you are with?"

It took only a second for Arthur to realize why the guard had asked this. It had to look odd that he returned without the prince. He knew the man who was talking and addressed him by his name, "William, I really need to see the king. There was trouble".

Simon had remained silent and calm but when he heard one of the men call address Arthur as Merlin he was confused. He turned to Arthur, "I thought you said your name was Arthur? Why did they call you Merlin?"

At this point Arthur had stopped paying attention to Simon and was now waiting for William the guard's response to his request to see the king".

William however had been paying attention to Simon and looked straight at Arthur, "Merlin, why does he think your name is Arthur, where is Arthur Merlin?"

"What? A confused looked overcame Arthur's face (or rather Merlin's face). Look I need to see the king and we can't afford to waste time".

"Yes Merlin, I think seeing the king is a good idea. I think he would like to know where his son is as well".

Simon, who had been listening to the conversation, was suddenly stunned to hear that this boy he was with knew the prince of Camelot. It also didn't take him long to figure out that the boy must have taken the princes name while he was with them. He was about to say something to his own defense when one of the men behind him suddenly grabbed his arms. He saw that the boy he knew as Arthur was also being grabbed. "Look, I don't know what this boy has done, but I was only helping him get back to Camelot. There is no need to do this; I would like to be on my way".

William looked at Simon with cautious eyes, "No one is going anywhere until the king has a talk with you".

Arthur was furious at the way he was being treated, "I don't think this is necessary. Please just take me to my fath", he suddenly realized what he was about to say and stopped before completing the word _father_. "This is about Arthur so yes I want to see the king, but you don't need to be so rough".

William never did like Merlin very much and had little patience for the servant, "I am doing what is needed. You return without the prince and tell me that you need to talk to the king about his son and you think that I should just welcome you back to Camelot with open arms? No Merlin, this doesn't look good and until I know what is going on I will not be taking any chances". He looked toward Simon, "and as for your companion, regardless of what the truth is, you are coming with us to talk to the king".

Arthur knew the guards were only doing as they were trained to do. He should have realized they would be suspicious about this whole thing and that they wouldn't trust him. He remained silent and compliant with the guards on their way to the castle.

xxxxx


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

* * *

Getting to the castle had not taken as long as Arthur would have liked. He was dreading the meeting with his father because he knew nothing good could come of it. Here he was about to face the king not as his son, but as his sons servant, who just happened to have left with the prince but returned without him. He knew this would not look good to anyone.

He was brought to the king's private sitting area and asked to wait along with Simon. Several of the guards stood watch while someone went to retrieve the king. The guards who brought him to the castle had been fair, but they had also been silent which could only mean that they knew what was in store for the prince's servant. This gave Arthur a whole new perspective what his men thought of Merlin.

Arthur looked over to Simon and could tell he was not happy about any of this, "Look Simon, I am sorry they brought you here. I am sure I can convince the king to let you go".

Simon looked at Arthur, "Why didn't you tell me who you really were. And what is your real name, is it Merlin or is it Arthur. If I had known I may not have come with you. My family does not need any trouble with the king. It's bad enough that we have the Duke to deal with".

The mention of the Duke peaked Arthur's attention, "You know of the Duke, what you can tell me of him?"

Simon was silent for a moment but soon realized he had nothing better to do while they waited, "The Duke is a cruel man. We have seen much devastation on our lands since he was appointed Duke. From what I heard he had murdered his father so that he could take over his wealth, but then he squandered it and lost it so now he tries to suck what he can out of his people. We are poor and have nothing to give him but he doesn't care".

This was the first time he had heard of the Duke's cruelty or that the Duke had any part of his father's death. "If he was so bad then why hasn't anyone brought this up to the king?"

"We are poor and was cannot waste our time on empty promises. We knew that if we approached the King he would just talk to the Duke who would lie about everything. Then we would be made to suffer even more because we went to the King. It was not something we could afford to do so we just took the abuse from the Duke and tried to live with it as best we could".

This news was the last thing Arthur had expected to hear. He was thinking it through when the door opened and the King entered.

He was always amazed by the commanding presence his father had whenever he entered a room. He had often wondered if he would command such a feeling when he was king but he had to push that thought back inside his head for now. His hopes of becoming king were still something outside of his reach.

He stared at his father as he walked toward him. He could tell the king was not in a good mood. He had seen that look on his face enough times to know.

King Uther sat down in his chair, never once taking his eyes off of Merlin. He was told that the servant had come back without his son and he was here to find out why.

"Why have you come back alone. Where is my son?"

Arthur didn't expect a warm greeting when he had come back to the castle but he was also hoping the King would have opened up the conversation with a different question. "He was taken" was all that he could get out before the king interrupted him.

"Taken, who took him and how did you get away? You are his servant and it was your job to stay with him. Do you think it acceptable that you escaped while the Prince and heir to Camelot didn't?"

Anyone else facing the king at this moment would have cowered down, but this was Arthur and he knew how to handle his father's rants, "I came back to get help for Arthur. We were ambushed by the Duke's men and they took him".

Uther studied the face of his son's servant. He had known the relationship between his son and his servant was strong and that Merlin would do anything that Arthur required, but he was still having a hard time buying it. "Why would the Duke have done something like this? He is a good man who needed our help. Are you sure it was the Duke who did this?"

"Yes it was the Duke. We were almost to his castle when his men attacked us. We were both taken but we managed to get away and stay hidden for a time".

"If you had gotten away then why didn't you both head back here?"

Arthur had to make sure he got his facts straight if the king was to believe him, "we tried but were unsure of where we were. We hid out in a forest while Arthur went to find help".

Uther's look of displeasure never changed as he looked at Merlin. "Why did Arthur go without you?"

Arthur looked down at his leg, or rather Merlin's leg before answering, "I was injured. I stayed behind as I would only slow him down".

Uther could buy this explanation and waited for the rest of the explanation before saying anything else.

Arthur ignored his father's impatient look, "That was the last time I saw Arthur. He never returned and while I waited I left the hiding place for fear of having been discovered".

"If Arthur never returned then how do you know the Duke has him? How did you manage to get back here then?"

Arthur was just about to speak up when Simon, who was silent during the whole conversation cleared his throat and spoke up, "Um,,,,,, King Uther" Simon stopped when the King turned his attention to him. It took him a moment before he could find his voice again, "King Uther I think I can help him explain".

Instead of Uther demanding to know who this man was, the only thing he said was, "well get on with it then".

"I was out in the woods with my son-in-law when we came upon Arthur".

Uther interrupted Simon at the mention of Arthur's name, "You mean you came across Merlin".

Simon nervously looked at Arthur as he realized that he had never gotten an answer to who he really was and to why he had called himself Arthur if everyone knew him as Merlin. He would ask later as this was not the time to find out. He slowly returned his gaze back to Uther, "Uh yes I apologize; I meant to say Merlin. Well, when we found him he wasn't capable of taking care of himself so we brought him back to our home. There we took care of him until he was well enough to travel".

"Did he not tell you who he was?"

"No King Uther, he was in no shape to make the request when he first arrived. When he was able he did ask someone to accompany him back here".

Uther looked at Merlin while contemplating his next move. The story sounded solid enough but there were still unanswered questions such as the location of his son. Merlin should have stayed with Arthur no matter what condition he was in, but it was too late to do anything about it. He looked toward his guards, "take these two men to Gaius, but don't let them out of your sight".

Arthur wanted to talk more with his father but found that he was being ushered toward the door along with Simon. He looked back at his father and wanted to say something when his legs suddenly gave out and he crashed to the floor.

* * *

Merlin had waited much of the morning for someone to show up. His stomach was growling rather loudly by now so he knew it had to be getting close to noon. He didn't really care if they brought him something to eat, but rather that they showed up at all. He was ready to take down the first person who came through the door and with his luck and Arthur's muscular and well toned body take on anyone else who came next.

It really wasn't much of a plan since he really never had to think too hard about what to do next. It always came natural to him because he had the aid of magic. But magic was no longer an option so all he had to use was his brain and Arthur's brawn. Until now he had never realized how his magic had defined who he was. Now that he was without out it he felt very disconnected with the world around him. He wondered if all non magic people felt this way.

He was still sitting next to the door when he finally heard someone approaching. His body tensed up when he heard keys sliding into the door. He had to be ready.

As the door open he pounced on the person who came in. As Merlin fought the guard to the floor he failed to notice two more people coming into the room. It wasn't long before he found himself being lifted off the man he had pinned to the ground.

His arms were now pinned behind his back as he was hauled to his feet. The man on the floor got up and stood next to him.

Merlin was now facing the Duke again. Before he could say anything he felt his legs being kicked out from under his body. He fell to his knees while the men still held on to his arms. He lifted his head and looked up at the Duke.

The Duke smiled at the captive Prince of Camelot, "Arthur, it's good to see you again".

xxxxx


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

* * *

The Duke knelt down in order to get a better view of the Princes face, "So we finally have you at last. I was none too happy with your little excursion from my plan, but you're here now so I will let that pass". He grabbed Merlin's (Arthur's) chin and brought it closer to his. "You don't know how long I have been waiting to get my revenge. You are probably not aware of the history between our two families".

Merlin held his gaze on the Duke, but was struggling to maintain it as he thought about what the Duke had just said. So there was some kind of history with him and Arthur's family. There was one thing he knew for certain now, and that was that this man was not who had claimed to be. The history between the two families must have been spanned a great length of time because the King would never had offered his help if there had been some kind of feud between them.

The Duke could tell the prince was not paying total attention to him. He squeezed his chin until he was satisfied he had his full attention. "I'm going to guess that you don't really know who I am, do you. Well I will tell you who I am. Your father stole something from my family, from me and I want it back. You are going to help me get it back".

Merlin wished Arthur was here. He had no idea what this man was talking about, but he figured that Arthur wouldn't have known anymore that he did. The Duke had not been viewed as a threat when he had asked for help. He had been viewed as an ally to the kingdom and someone that deserved the king's help. This realization only confirmed his earlier thoughts. Whatever it was may have happened before Arthur had been born.

The Duke stood up and motioned for his men to haul Merlin to his feet. "So, do you have nothing to say to me?"

Merlin chose his words carefully before speaking, "I don't know what to say since I don't know what was stolen from you".

A smile came across the Duke face, "You will know soon enough, but for now you will stay here until I need you".

Merlin was once again pushed down to the floor by the guards. The Duke opened the door, and without glancing back walked out with his guards in tow.

Merlin looked at the closed door and realized that he was no closer to escape than he had been before. If anything, he had more questions that needed answers if he was to get out of here alive. He thought of Arthur and hoped that he was having better luck that he was. He knew Arthur would do everything he could to find him and get him out of here. After all he had what Arthur wanted most, his body, but he was also his friend and he knew he would not be forgotten.

* * *

Arthur and Simon were left in the care of Gaius, while the kings guards were posted outside the room.

Now that Gaius was alone with the two men, he checked the wound on Arthur's (Merlin's) leg. He was pleased to see it was healing nicely, but put some extra salve on it anyway before redressing it.

The trio had remained silent while Gaius tended to Arthur, but now that the wound had been tended to, the questions began. Simon was the first to get his question out.

"How long am I to remain here?" Simon had been looking at Gaius but turned his gaze to Arthur, "And you, who exactly are you anyway. You tell me your name is Arthur and they tell me your name is Merlin, so which is it?"

Arthur didn't know how to respond, especially with Gaius in the room. He wanted to tell this man the truth, but that would expose the use of magic and he could not afford to have this information get back to his father. He knew that he father would never understand that the switch was not of their doing. Magic was magic and it didn't matter who was behind it.

Arthur looked at Gaius and then back to Simon, knowing that he had to say something, "My name is Merlin and I am the Prince's servant. What I told the king is all true".

Simon wasn't convinced, "Then why did you tell me your name was Arthur?"

Arthur closed his eyes, hoping a suitable explanation to satisfy this man would come. He waited a few more moments before opening his eyes, "I told you my name was Arthur in hopes of throwing off whoever was after the real Arthur. I thought that by telling you I was Arthur it would help the real one get away. If they thought Arthur was hiding out at someone's house, they would stop looking for him in the forest".

Simon was furious after hearing the explanation. "You purposely put my family in danger just so the real Arthur could get away? We took you in and took care of you all the while my family was in danger".

Arthur didn't mean to anger the man but it was the only explanation he could think of, "I would never have let anything happen to your family".

"Oh, you can say that now, but you would not have been in any condition to help us after we found you that day. You would not have been able to stop any threat to my family. You, a mere servant, no matter what shape you were in could not have kept us safe?"

Gaius finally stepped in between the two men, "I am sure your family was in no real danger. Perhaps a little rest and food will help calm the situation. The both of you must be exhausted from your travels".

Simon had to admit he was hungry and the old man did have a point. "Perhaps you are right".

Gaius gave Arthur a small smile as he led Simon to the table. Within a few minutes Gaius had produced a small bowl of soup that had been cooking over the fire.

Arthur used the time to think about his current problem, which was getting back to Merlin and getting his own body back. He was still in his own thoughts when he felt a hand grasp his shoulder.

"I think you should have some food as well, you must be starving".

Arthur turned around and faced Gaius. He saw the concern on his face and knew the king's healer was only looking out for him, or rather Merlin. "I'll eat later Gaius; right now I'm worried about Arthur". He was glad he said the correct name. He didn't have time to explain a name mix-up.

Gaius's hand never left Arthur's shoulder, "perhaps you should lie down, and I won't take no for an answer".

Arthur was tired and a chance to close his eyes while he thought of his next step may be just what the doctor ordered. "Of course Gaius, a little rest would be good".

Gaius helped Arthur to his feet and led him to Merlin's room. He made sure the young man was seated before he spoke, "Now are you sure you would not like something to eat Arthur?"

Arthur was instantly confused and concerned by the last word in the question, "What did you just call me?"

Gaius took a seat next to Arthur, "I called you by your rightful name Arthur. I know who you really are and I am here to help you".

"How could you know that I am not Merlin?"

A grandfatherly calm came over Gaius, "Merlin told me what happened before you went off with the Duke. And before you ask, I will not tell the king of your predicament".

This was easier than he thought it would be, but then again he had to make sure this was not a trap. He knew that the healer was very loyal to his father, but he was also loyal to Merlin so why would he try and trick him. "I don't remember telling you any such thing. Perhaps you heard wrong".

"It wasn't you who told me, it was Merlin who told me. I know that something caused you to switch bodies and it was most definitely magic that did it. I told Merlin that I would do what I could to help but then you were summoned away. Now that the two of you are separated, it makes the matter more difficult to correct".

Arthur wanted this burden of truth to be lifted so he took a chance and confided in the man, who if he wanted, could change his whole world by telling the king of this deception. "Merlin spoke the truth. We woke up the morning we came back to the castle to find that we no longer lived in the bodies we were born to. We were going to try and figure out what happened right after we helped the Duke, but now it has all changed".

"I know you are worried your father will find out, but I can assure you that he will not hear it from me. And if I can help put your mind at ease, he will never find out".

Arthur was suddenly desperate to get back into his own body, "I need you to help me out of the castle. I need to go and find out where they have Merlin so that we can continue our journey".

"You cannot do it alone Sire. You will need my help as well as your fathers. Let me talk to him on your behalf".

Out of desperation, Arthur grabbed Gaius's arm. "This has to be done soon".

"Why is that Sire?"

"I don't know, but I feel like I am losing myself. I feel like if we don't hurry it will be too late to switch back".

"How would you know that? We don't really know much of anything at this point".

"I don't know how to explain it, but ever since the switch I was able to feel when things were happening to my body. At first I thought nothing of it; I just assumed there was something wrong with Merlin's body. But when I felt myself getting hit in the face and saw that my real body was being hit at the exact same time, it made me realize that I was still connected to my old self. But now, that feeling is not as strong. What could that mean Gaius?"

The king's healer was concerned by what he was hearing. If the sensations Arthur had been feeling were not as strong as they once were, the reason could be several things, but there was only one outcome, and it was this fact that bothered Gaius the most. If they did not find Merlin and discover the way to reverse the magic, the switch may become permanent. After Merlin had told him what had happened he started looking through all of his books. He came across a few body switching spells, but the ones he found were only temporary and required no further spells to reverse its affects. He didn't want to scare the prince, nor did he want to lie to him, but time was not something they had a lot of. "I don't want you to worry about it right now Arthur. We will find Merlin and will figure out how to make the switch. But right now I want you to lie down and get some rest. I will go and speak to your father".

Arthur lay down in Merlin's bed. His constant thoughts about everything that had occurred and were still occurring made it difficult for him to get comfortable. The fact that this was Merlin's bed also didn't help the situation.

* * *

"No Gaius, he cannot come along. He was of no help to my son before and he would be of no help to him now".

Gaius had spent the last 30 minutes trying to get the king to agree to taking Merlin and himself along on the rescue party for Arthur. If the two young men were really running out of time to reverse their predicament, then the only rational thing was to get the king to agree to take his son's servant along. If only the king knew that his son was actually safe and well in his own kingdom, then he may not have been so stubborn in his decision. "Sire, he is the only one who really knows where the Prince might be. It would be foolish to leave him behind".

Uther stood up rather abruptly, "I have made my decision and Merlin is to stay here with you. I am taking the other man that came back with him to show us where we might find the Duke. He knows the area better than Merlin".

There was no changing the King's mind at this point. He decided to let Uther cool down while he went back to prepare for the trip. Regardless of what decision the King had made, both he and Arthur would be going along. It was the only way to ensure that they didn't run out of time.

By the time Gaius got back, Arthur had already been told of the plan. Several of the king's guard's had taken Simon from the room while he was made to wait behind.

"Gaius, I thought you were going to talk to my father. We need to go along".

"Yes I know Sire, and we will be going. The king just doesn't know about it yet".

Arthur didn't know what the healer had in mind, but he knew he could be very persuasive when he wanted to be. "Then what are we waiting for. I overheard one of the guards talking about leaving soon. We don't have much time".

"We must be patient Sire. We will wait until they leave and then follow them".

If this was the best that Gaius could come up with then he knew he was in trouble.

Arthur nervously paced back and forth while Gaius gathered up their provisions for the trip. As soon as they knew the king and his men had left they quickly and quietly made their way out of the kingdom. It had taken Gaius a little time to convince the guards to let Arthur leave the room, but he had told them the king wanted him to prepare the princes room for their return. The guards seemed more than happy to not have to stand and wait outside the room.

Before long they were following behind the king and his men on their way to find their missing prince. If they only knew he was right behind them the whole time.

* * *

Luckily Arthur was well trained in tracking. They traveled for the next few hours with just enough distance to keep them from being exposed. He also knew how these men worked as he was the one who trained many of them. But not all the men were his. He knew that his father had some of his most loyal and trusted men with him, men who had been the ones to train him when he had come of age. He knew he had to be careful as all the men would be on extra alert to their surroundings.

The sky grew darker with every step. It was not long into the night before they realized that the party ahead of them had stopped. He knew his father would not want to travel by moonlight. He knew they would have until dawn to rest before his father would set out again.

They had packed lightly, but Gaius had managed to bring enough food to satisfy them both. They sat in the dark listening to the sounds of the night as they ate their cold food. A fire would have been nice but the chances that it would have drawn attention to the fact that they were here was too great a risk.

"Gaius, do you have any idea how to fix this. Do you have a plan once we reach Merlin?"

Gaius knew this question was going to come about sooner or later, "I am not sure Sire. I need more time to think about this, but to answer your questions, the answers would be no".

Arthur had been afraid that this would be his answer. If magic was the cause of this, then it would stand to reason that magic was the only thing that could reverse it. But thanks to his father's eradication of all things magic, there was no left in Camelot who could help.

xxxxx


End file.
